IIA Joins AT&T in Non-Title II Internet Action Day Advocacy

AT&T may have started something. After the company said it was joining the internet day of actionJuly 12with a different message from Title II fans about preserving net neutrality, the Internet Innovation Alliance has said it too will participate.

Like AT&T, the alliance favors legislation establishing a non-Title II framework for net neutrality rules. The organizers of the day of action, by contrast, are protesting a proposal by FCC chairman Ajit Pai to roll back Title II.

"Tomorrow, IIA will reiterate its stance that legislation should codify principles that advance transparency and preserve an open internet free from blocking, discriminatory throttling, and censorship," the alliance said.

That mirrored AT&T's position, including not addressing the current rule against paid prioritization, which ISPs are not saying should necessarily be preserved from the current Title II-based Open Internet order.

IIA said it would make clear in its action day advocacy that Title II-based rules are unnecessary and "put broadband innovation and investment in jeopardy."

“One important reason the FCC wants to restore the traditional classification of broadband is to spur investment, which has fallen since the FCC classified broadband as a Title II service in 2015,” said IIA honorary chairman Rick Boucher, former Democratic chairman of the House Communications Subcommittee. “The best way to quickly close the digital divide is for the FCC to restore the classification of broadband as an information service [Title II is for telecoms] and for Congress to codify that status in legislation that also ensures an open internet.”